Anton on 900 games scouted

Anton Zingarevich has reiterated the importance of ensuring the right players come to Reading, shown by fact that the club has scouted over 900 games over the past year.

Speaking to Sir John Madejski on Reading 107, Anton said: "I think recruitment is the most important thing to a football club. If you get your recruitment right, then you're going to have good finances and it helps you perform on the pitch.

"We've done over 900 games over this year in terms of scouting, and our database of players is really filling.

"You can't base your judgement on a player if you've only seen them once - you need continuous focus. In the end, you'll know a lot about the player and you'll be able to make a decision on whether you would like to approach him or not. It was a good starting point this year and something we will definitely consider - not just for first team players but for youth players as well."

During his chat with the Chairman, which you can listen to by clicking here, Anton also reflected on his first full season in Berkshire, and making the transition from fan to owner.

"The biggest difference was that when you sit there watching the game as a fan, you're really just watching a game of football. But when you sit there as owner of the club, you can't really take it in the same way. You have to be more thoughtful about what's happening. That was the biggest difference - otherwise, it's just football.

"At the end of last season when I just started, there were good emotions, positive emotions. And then this season was up and down - emotionally, it was testing for me. But this is football - you just have to get over it, be positive and look to the future."